Chapter 6 Hiding

Kade POV The day is still good, my team is here, and for the first time since waking up, I feel like maybe I can still hold on to this. Nothing can go wrong, if I avoid Nikolai everything is fine, right? The moment I let myself relax entirely, I hear the low murmurs from the other side of the bar. A couple of guys huddled around a phone, speaking just loud enough for their words to carry. “Did you hear? That reporter...what’s her name, Leah?” “Yeah, she’s teasing a huge story. Says she’s got a big star caught in some scandal.” My stomach twists, and the whiskey suddenly sits wrong making me feel ill. I don’t move and I don’t react, but my fingers tighten around my glass. This is nothing, It has to be nothing, right? But my pulse doesn’t seem to agree. I try to ignore it, and try to focus on the bar buzzing, the people packed into it. My mind wants to focus on the high of our championship win. All I want to hear is the laughter, the shouting and clinking of glasses, it's the sound of victory and what I need right now to escape Nikolai. “She’s hinting it’s someone big.” The voice comes from behind me and I grit my teeth, I don't want to hear! “Yeah, but every fucking guy in the league gets into some shit. Could be anyone.” “Leah Adams doesn’t play around, man. She doesn’t tease a story unless she’s got something solid.” I don’t react. I don’t even move, all I do is swirl the whiskey in my glass, keeping my expression neutral. Leah Adams. She’s not some gossip reporter fishing for clicks, no, she’s the real deal. If she’s teasing a scandal, it means she already has the story. She’s just waiting for the right moment to drop it. Which means Nikolai has made moves already, is that because I ignored his message? Tyler leans in, his brow furrowed as he listens to the conversation happening at the next table. “You guys hearing this?” Ben huffs, shaking his head. “It’s probably just some guy getting caught with blow or a hooker. Happens every season.” “Still,” Tyler mutters, drumming his fingers against his beer glass. “She said ‘big star.’ That’s not just some fourth-liner getting caught pissing in an alley.” My stomach twists, but I force myself to stay relaxed, taking another sip of my drink. I ignore everyone, I ignore the talk of the reporter, I ignore it all, at least I try, that is until across the table, Alex’s phone buzzes. I watch as he glances at the screen and frowns. “What the fuck?” He tilts his phone toward Tyler. “Why is Mercer dropping in the draft rankings?” My grip on the glass tightens, no, fucking no, that better be a joke. I don't move, I just watch as Tyler grabs his phone. He begins scrolling fast, his brows pulling together. “Holy shit. You dropped two spots.” Ben snorts at his words, his eyes flick to me briefly. “Yeah, that makes no sense. You just won us the fucking championship.” A few of the other guys begin to pull out their phones, they are all murmuring to each other. Someone curses under their breath and my ears start ringing because this isn't just some minor slip. It’s noticeable, players don’t just drop after a game like the one I just played. Not unless something behind the scenes is scaring teams off. This isn’t a coincidence, I know it isn't, I know that it's Nikolai trying to get my attention. He warned me, and I ignored him, so, now, he’s making his next move. He's making me aware I can't just hide away. Tyler looks up at me. “Dude, what’s going on?” I force my usual cocky smirk, while trying to keep my voice casual despite the worry building. “How the hell should I know?” Ben shrugs. “Maybe a team leaked something, trying to play mind games. Some GMs love to tank a player’s stock so they can pick them up lower.” I nod, running a hand through my hair like I don’t give a shit. “Probably that.” I know it’s not, and I want to pretend like it will stop but I know better. I keep the smirk on my face, but inside, my stomach is fucking knotting up tighter. This is the start, only the beginning and I feel like it will get worse if I continue to ignore Nikolai. I keep my smirk locked in place, pretending the conversation around me isn’t making my pulse race and my heart slam against my ribs when it is, it's fucking wrecking me but I can't say shit without tripping myself up. The guys are staring at their phones, muttering at each other and I can see it, they are trying to figure out how the hell I dropped. I shouldn't have dropped in the draft rankings, not after the game I just played. “It doesn’t make sense,” Tyler says, shaking his head. “You should be moving up, not down.” “Yeah,” Alex mutters, still scrolling. “Nothing official’s come out, though. No reports, no injury rumors, no team statements. Just… a drop.” A deliberate drop and I already fucking know why, my phone buzzes again in my pocket, a vibration that feels heavier this time, like a noose tightening around my throat. I take another sip of my drink before casually pulling it out, glancing at the screen and I already know who it is. On the screen I see it, Unknown Number The sooner you agree to meet, the sooner your draft stock stops dropping. My stomach clenches and I stare at the message, the words pressing into my skull like a slow, creeping poison, I know it was Nikolai, he's the only one with the power to do this. My jaw locks and I tighten my fingers around the glass, Nikolai isn’t fucking around, I thought I could walk away but he isn't letting me. Sure, he let me ignore his first message. Gave me one chance to come to him willingly. Now, he’s reminding me what happens if I don’t.